The Only Contract Between The Undead
by Game-Start
Summary: What if when Alois died, instead of allowing Claude to use his soul in the manner he did, the young man danced with death and managed to form a contract with a shinigami in order to retrieve his soul? Everyone knows shinigami and human interaction is taboo, but with no soul, was he still human? And what of the friendship he wanted with Ciel? Murder mysteries, possible yaoi, OC.
1. Introduction

"**You there. Born of man's flesh. The only reason you appear before me is because of a great regret you have in your life. Something you cling desperately too and did not want to give up on even in death."**

Alois Trancy was murdered by his butler, Claude Faustus, having his soul stolen away from him. He still, however, possessed his heart and thus his emotions. The young man rested on the ground of a room similar to a chamber, piled him with books and other forms of record keeping. A man clothed in a black suede suit and spoke with a thunderous voice, "State your request, Alois Trancy. One final dying wish." The beaten and broken blonde raised his head to the man and answered, "I want my soul back and for one of your men to help me retrieve it." All shinigami know it defies the rules to for a contract with a human being, but in his current state the young man was not human, nor demon, nor werewolf or any other creature. He was simply undead without his soul. Not a zombie or vampire, but undead. "Your soul? In order for you to pass through our gates you must have one, so I suppose I will make this on exception, and allow one of my men to accompany you on a quest to retrieve it." All shinigami knew of the rules, most importantly meddling in the lives of humans. But because of the circumstances, this single contract would be permitted. The first, and last between a human heart and lord of death. "Step forward, Avel. You shall stay with this child until his soul is recovered and subsequently collected. Aid him in anything he requests, and there shall be no disciplinary actions in forming the contract." A rather tall and cheerful man with shamrock colored hair appeared in front of the Trancy boy, clapping his hands together with a smile spread across his mouth. "Oh it will be such a delight to spend time with a human boy! I'm so curious as to how similar our physiology is, oh but no no I wouldn't betray my race like Undertaker did." The shinigami grabbed Alois' hand and jerked him up into a standing position. The Trancy looked over the man and thought for a moment. The teen clapped his hands together and swayed in a circular dancing motion while exclaiming the word. "_**Olé**__!" _Avel responded by mimicking the dance, then gesturing on one knee as if he wanted to take the boy's hand to continue the dance. Alois laughed and took the man's hand. "With your energy I'm sure we'll get along great!" he said. Avel responded with a smile back, which would otherwise be out of character for him. However, since talking to a fellow shinigami named Ronald Knox, Avel grew a soft spot for children. The two dance, and then decided to leave the main branch and head for the Trancy manor, a solemn and quiet building now.


	2. Getting to Know the New Butler

"So this is the Trancy estate? I've heard of it from the others, and believe it or not I actually had a few run-ins with the demon triplets, though I've heard they've passed away. Shinigami do not act in the affair of demon souls. That is left up to designated demons." Avel was known in the shinigami network for being very loud and talkative. Some would say he acted more extroverted than Grell Sutcliff. "You know those idiotic triplets? Sadly they have passed away". Alois busted through the front doors of the manor and continued, exclaiming loudly, "But that just means you'll have to pick up the slack!" No sooner than he landed inside, the young man noticed the condition of the estate. Dusty and web-filled. Like not a soul had resided in it for years. No Claude. That's what perked his interest the most. No Claude. All this talk the butler made of belonging to the Trancy family, and how much he wanted to devour Alois. Where was all of that talk now? Surely somebody that attached would still be in the manor. "Where's Claude? Did he, really run off with my soul to chase after the Phantomhive?" Alois lowered his arms to his side, his head hung over and full of despair. Slowly he shuffled forward into the main lobby and whispered to himself, "Am I, all alone again?" Avel followed behind him into the manor and sneezed. "Is Claude the butler here? He doesn't do that good of a job." Alois turned to face the shinigami, head still fixed on the tiled floor and said, "You're, only here because you were ordered right? That's the only reason Claude was ever here. Had I not ordered him, he would've had nothing to do with me." Avel stared down at the boy, frowning slightly. He couldn't muster any words to say, and instead just proceeded to embrace the young teen. "This is what humans do to comfort each other, right?"

Alois pushed the man away and looked up at him with a sickened face. His eyes puffy and red. He screamed with all of the air in his lungs, "You're just going to use me! There's no way you actually care! We just met! And I'm not even a human being anymore!" The shinigami didn't know how to respond the the boy's rants and quietly listened as he continued, "Everyone's dead! I don't even see Hannah anywhere. This place is dead just like I am! I doubt the family is of service to the queen anymore. She's forgotten me too! When people die, aren't they supposed to be remembered? People are supposed to care aren't they?! That bloody Phantomhive I'm sure didn't give me another thought. And Claude," he paused for a moment and collected himself, wiping the liquid away from his eyes and flushing the red from his face, "Claude. He's the one that has my soul. He's the one I believed loved him. He told me how he wanted only me. I felt, cared for. Wanted and needed. I felt like I mattered, but that's not the case is it? I'm not, needed or wanted? Then why am I even trying to retrieve my soul? Avel, will you help me? Will you not leave my side and be my friend?" At the conclusion of his rant, Avel stepped forward and once again embraced his new master. Avel spoke the words, "I'll be by your side until your final breath, by my own choice and not because of an order. I will prove to you not everyone is bad. You had my word, Lord Trancy. And besides, who else could I learn about human beings from? You are the first human I've had the pleasure of speaking with personally." The manor felt, warmer. It felt clearer and brought a generally happy feeling to the atmosphere. Something in Alois' mind told him Avel wasn't lying. Was it the smile on his face? The warmth in his embrace? The feeling he gave felt different from that of Claude's. No matter how many times he asked, Alois got the same answer of it being forced and cold. The words Clause spoke did not match how he felt. Avel however, spoke honestly. "Thank you...," said Alois, softly. He once again pushed his new servant away, but not violently this time, and made his way upstairs to his bedroom for a night's rest.

Morning came and sunlight shined brightly inside of the once bustling Trancy manor. Although the house was empty, the suns rays made it seem less depressing. Alois never had any friends, everyone knew that. But the old servants of the house brought the home-like feeling to it. Now, they were all gone. Sitting up in his bed Alois realized he never changed into pajamas, so he simply crawled out of bed and stood straight up, stretching his back out, then slouching over to proceed back downstairs. He searched the loft, the kitchen, and peered through the window leading to the back garden looking for Avel, but he was nowhere to be found. At first Alois thought his servant left, making him all alone again. But he pushed that thought out of his mind and decided to put some trust into his new friend's words. After straightening his bow and flattening our some ruffles in his coat, Alois went outside to the front of the mansion for the mail. The delivery man was surprised to see the boy outside this early by himself and asked why his butler was not with him. Alois just shook his head and sighed. He didn't want to talk about it, and took the letters that had been delivered. He went back inside to review the letters, and sat down at the desk in his office as per usual, closing the door behind him after he entered. Not a single one of them came from Queen Victoria. Alois laid his head against the desk and stared into space, almost cutting himself away from reality. Just yesterday he took his dying breath, and now he's among the living again. What logic is there to that? Nothing was making any sense, but sure enough he could feel his own heart beat as if nothing was missing. And that made him think, what exactly is a soul? Is it just a form of currency among other races? Was he really still a human being? Alois questioned many many things, and didn't expect to get any answers any time soon. How much time passed while he was in the world of the dead? Time passes slowly in that world, so a day there is more like a week in the human world. The two realms coexist in what appears to be the same space, but shinigami see the world much differently than humans. These things he thought about deeply in the now quiet manor.

A rumbling sound was heard from the hallway, approaching the door rapidly. It sounded like feet running. No sooner that Alois raised his head, the door to his office opened faster than he could blink. "Good morning sir! I hope you slept well last night!" Avel ran up to his master's desk with a bright smile on his face. "What would you like for breakfast today? I'm known for my cooking prowess in the office so ask for anything!" Alois stared at Avel with a face that's eyes read as, 'Stop being so energetic you ninny, it's too early', but his mouth said nothing. His head thumped against the desk again, and his eyes closed. "Are you not hungry? I can get you something to drink instead. Whatever you like sir." Alois gave no answer. The silence was awkward. Avel turned to leave the room and said, "I'll just get you some tea." As he stepped through the door's threshold, Alois answered his question in a tired tone by saying, "Hot chocolate. I want hot chocolate." Avel looked back at his sleepy master and said, "Coming right up." The shinigami didn't bother to close the door behind him, and when he came back it appeared as if he hadn't made it. In his hand he held a silver platter, with a cup containing cold milk, and the pack of hot chocolate mix laying beside of it. Alois furrowed his brows and said, "You didn't make it? I asked for hot chocolate, not a cup with milk in it you imbecile." Avel snickered and placed the tray down in front of the young aristocrat. "Do you know how to make it?", asked the butler. Alois looked at him in confusion, crossed one leg over the other as well as his arms, and asked, "How do you make it from that? Don't you have to heat it up or something?" Avel raised a brow mischievously. Of course you had to heat it up, but what source of heat was there to be found in this room? Sun shined in from the window, but that wasn't enough heat. Alois thought and thought about how he could possibly make it, but couldn't think of any answers. He raised his voice and shouted, "Well how the hell do you make it?! I'm not going to sit here all day waiting for it!" Avel laughed and waved his hand from side to side, "Oh calm down. You'll get your drink," he said. Alois smirked and leaned forward onto the desk, head cradled in his hand, asking, "So just how are you going to do it?"  
Avel held the cup in his left hand, and with his right he snapped his fingers and lit onyx colored flames in palm. The moved the flames back and forth, made the taller then shorter, and manipulated the intensity of it until it mimicked that of a stove's flames, and held the cup over it. Alois' eyes looked on in amazement of the blackened flames. His eyes glowed with wonder. "How are you doing that?" Alois asked. The innocence and wonder of being a child washed over him, and the pain he'd felt his entire life vanished, even if it were only for a moment.

"Feel the temperature. I bet it's warmer now." Avel said. Alois dipped the tip of his finger into the milk, then quickly pulled it back out and licked over it. "It's not warm, it's hot! But, that's really cool. Where did you learn to hold fire in your hand? I want to do that!" said Alois. Avel sat the cup down and answered his master's question first by changing the flames shape into a skull, the saying, "Death angel's secret." Alois pouted at the answer he received. His butler mixed the hot chocolate mix into the milk and cooled it slightly before giving it to his lord. "I have many more magic tricks to show you. They called me The Magician back home." said Avel. Alois sipped a drink of the hot chocolate and smiled. "That little trick made me feel happy, believe it or not. Claude would never surprise me like that. He would tap dance, but only when I wasn't looking. He, was cold." Avel's ears pointed up after hearing his master's words, and he snapped back with saying, "Well I'm not Claude. I'm me and no one else." Alois made no remark at his butler's snapping, because in a way it made him happy to hear that he wasn't Claude masquerading around with a different face. Alois looked down at the letters strewn on his desk from earlier as he continued to sip his beverage, and noticed one in particular didn't have a stamp. Everything on it was written by hand, rather crudely at that. "That one, the poor man's looking letter, read it." ordered Alois. Avel obliged and opened the envelope, noting that the letter's hand writing looked like a very young child's.

"I heard a great detective lives in London and my mommy has gone missing. Can you find her mister?" said Avel. "Is that all it says? Where is the letter from?" asked Alois. "It's from Chicago sir, a city in the United States of America. I've heard quite a few women have gone missing in that country, but not from that region. Perhaps this is a job for the Queen's Spider?" said Avel. Alois finished his drink and rose form his chair. He turned to face the sunlight shining in from his window and proclaimed, "I am not longer the Queen's Spider. No business has come from her now has it? But for some reason, someone still believes in me. I'll make my own name for myself as the Ghost Detective! That's what I am now right? A ghost? And you can be my exorcist assistant!" Avel smiled in an awkward way, though posing as an exorcist would kill any suspicion of him being a shinigami. "Of course, master. I'll be your exorcist. When do you plan on leaving for the States?" questioned his butler. Alois enthusiastically responded with, "As soon as we can! Start packing my clothes."


	3. To the Ship!

The day of departure had finally arrived, and Alois was running on zero hours of sleep. He'd never traveled on a steamship before, and stayed up all night bouncing around with excitement. He even helped pack his things, something he normally wouldn't have done and left to his butler. "Sir, it's going to be a few hours before we depart for the docks. Don't you want to eat something first?" asked Avel. Alois was running in circles around his butler, talking faster than the speed of light and ignoring the man's question. Avel placed his hand on top of the young boy's head and scowled at him in an almost sinister way. "I won't be having you pass out on the way there. What kind of a servant would I be then?" said Avel. Alois stiffened and looked up at his butler, frowning, while making what you'd call puppy eyes. He responded by saying, "But that's no fun, I want to live now! Why can't the ship just hurry up at get to the docks already? I've never been outside of the country before!" Avel knelt down on his knees, and moved his hands to his master's shoulders. With a stern face he said, "If you don't eat then you'll pass out, and while your body is passed out zombies are going to come and rip every ounce of flesh you have from your bones. You will never wake again, never see the new country, never become the famed detective you dreamed of being, and..." Alois gulped, fearing what Avel was going to say next. He continued, "And you will never get to wear any new pairs of shorts!" Alois' eyes widened and his jaw dropped. "No new shorts?! Are you serious? No no no no no! I have to get new shorts!" The little lord scrambled towards the kitchen quickly, fearing the things his butler mentioned. Avel laughed, and followed behind his little master to help with food making.

"What's quick? Is there anything I can eat straight out of the box? My flesh is too soft to be something's dinner!" said Alois. Avel grabbed his master's shoulder and calmed him. "Nothing is going to eat you, and you'll be able to purchase the next line of fashion shorts. Everything will be fine, I promise that master. However now that you finally have agreed to eat something, what would you like?" he asked. Alois tapped his foot and rested his finger on his chin, thinking about all the different options. He wanted to think of something that would be tedious. A light bulb went off in his head, and Alois smirked at the choice he made. Mischievously he said, "Baked haddock with a side of lobster cutlets. And to drink I want fresh lemonade, not something in a bottle. Think you can make all that in time?" said Alois. Avel threw his waistcoat to the side, rolled his sleeves up, and grabbed an apron hanging in the kitchen, tying it around his waist, and removed his tie in order for it to be used as a headband as he prepared for a cooking marathon. "Sir, I don't think we have an lobster, but that will not be a problem. For I shall retrieve some from the waterways behind the manor! I've been told those waterways are stocked with all different types of seafood. Please, wait in the dining room and I shall return as quickly as possible with the lobster!" proclaimed Avel. The butler darted out of the kitchen, leaving behind a smoke cloud in his image, only to dash back just as fast. "First I should make the lemonade so it has time to get cold." he said. Avel made the lemonade as fast as he could, freshly squeezed lemons and all. In the pitcher he added ice cubes for the chilling, and carried it into the dining room, sitting on the table before proceeding to retrieve the day's lunch. Alois took his normal seat at the head of the table, and waited for his meal. "Don't take too long or I'm leaving for the docks without you." said the Trancy earl. A fire lit in his butler's eyes. It was as if his entire body was filled with pure energy as he took off to the river behind the manor as he said, "You don't even know how to get there my lord! I will be back soon!"

Around half an hour passed before Avel returned from his excursion. Passing through the dining room, he left behind puddles of water where he stepped, and his breathing heavy. However, plenty of lobster and fresh haddock was caught and ready to be used. Alois jumped from his chair and followed the butler into the kitchen. "You look tired. Are you sure tha-" Alois' words were cut off due to the sight before him. Just a second ago, Avel looked as if he ran a marathon, but now his cooking prowess shined. Flames taller than Alois himself, smells galore that blended together in harmony like in a high society restaurant, and his hair was slicked back in a way that would make anyone blush. "How did you, start all of this so fast?" asked Alois with a flustered sounding excitement. "Doesn't everyone cook like this? I didn't want you to rush your meal before we left." said Avel. Alois responded by saying, "Well, you certainly cook better than Claude did. He never looked THAT good. I'll be waiting in the dining room." Then proceeded back to his chair, awaiting his meal.

After eating, Alois was once again up and hyper, ready to go down to the docks. To calm his insatiable need for travel, Avel agreed to travel early to the boarding area. Grabbing their bags, the two rode a carriage to where the rebuilt and improved SS London, no longer with sails, awaited it's passengers. Alois in all of his energy rambled on and on about wondering what a ship would be like, the kinds of people he would meet, the new foods he could try, and finally is by chance he'd run into the 'bloody Phantomhive'. Avel listened as his master droned on, but made no response as he wasn't particularly paying attention. His eyes had focused on the world passing by, watching as it changed from a peaceful forest road to a more industrial scene. Eventually the carriage came to a stop. The duo finally arrived in the ship's waiting area. Alois couldn't contain himself long enough for the driver to open the doors to the carriage, and instead rushed outside himself, announcing that the Trancy detective had finally appeared. Naturally not a soul around paid him any mind, and for good reason since the place was bustling with people, all ranging from street-performers and other ship passengers. The SS London itself could be seen in the horizon as it neared the boarding area. Alois looked in all directions with a bright smile plastered on his face. Not waiting on Avel, he darted off into the crowd to explore. Avel finished unpacking the bags and turned around, looking for his little master. "Alois?" he called, "Master where have you gone off too?" The crowd of people was too thick to see through, so the butler strapped their luggage onto his back, and set off to find his little master. He searched high and low, inside of boxes, inside restrooms, and under bridges connecting the market at the harbor. No luck. That is, until he seen a small group of people crowded together, and spotted the short blonde with his purple coat seen through a the spaces left by people. "Ah, there you are!" said Avel as he ran towards Alois, luggage bouncing against his back. Alois turned his head to the side and said, "Be quiet! This old man's gonna tell a story!" Avel placed his hand on his master's shoulder, and agreed to stay quiet, looking on at the man who was in fact beginning to tell a story.

"Have any of you heard the rumors of Jack Frost? When I was still a wee lad growing up in Ireland, I met a bloody man. I asked the man why he was face was so red, and why his clothes were so dirty. He told me he fixed people, and sent them on to a better place. He told me the ruler's of this planet had gone mad. With the blood on his fingers, he wrote the letter J on my forehead, and told me his name was Jack Frost. A cold wind blew by, and the man left with it. The next morning a body was found without any skin on it, no blood, and was as cold as a block of ice. In the chest was carved a J. The day after that, I went exploring in the woods and seen the man again, still covered in blood, and asked him if he killed that person. He said he didn't kill him, but rather exposed the truth inside of him by taking his skin. The man told me I would never see him again, for he was traveling to the United States, to expose it's dark hidden secrets. The same, bitter cold wind came and the man was gone. All I remember of his appearance was bloody clothes and snow white hair. So be careful out there boys and girls. Don't get caught by the man Jack Frost during your trip across the pond." and thus the old man's story concluded. "That was awesome! I can't wait to find him. Maybe that's who took her!" said Alois with enthusiasm. The old man looked at him with a tired, but caring face. "Oh?" he asked, "Are ye looking for someone lad? Your mother perhaps" Alois looked towards the ground and quietly said, "No. I never knew my mother." The old man apologized and offered Alois a piece of candy, which he subsequently took and ate. The boat's horn could be heard as it pulled into the harbor, and boarding began.

Once on the boat, the two rested for a moment in their assigned cabin. It was a first-cabin, as per usual for aristocrats. However the butler almost never traveled in the same room as his master, so this was a bit odd. Though it was Alois request that his servant stay in the same room as himself. It would be a three day trip to the United States, so one of the luggage crates carried nothing but games. Alois laid on his bed, arms stretched out on each respective side, legs dangling off the edge of the bed. "I'm bored already. Does this ship have a game room on it?" asked Alois. Before Avel could answer, his little master was already up and exiting the room. As he stepped outside, two little boys were running in the hallway leading to the cafeteria. The boys looked like brothers, one being slightly bigger than the other. The giggled and laughed, appearing to be playing tag with each other. The smallest one bumped into Alois and said, "Sorry mister! My brother is being a meany!" The other boy looked back and gave his little brother a mischievous smile. The youngest one scurried towards the older, and Alois returned to his room where Avel sat in confusion. "Sir, I thought you were going to look for a game room." said Avel. Alois just frowned, shrugged his shoulder, then fell back over onto his bed in the same position he was before. "Is something wrong? Did you see that Phantomhive you keep referring to?" Avel continued, "I packed Draughts with the other games. I know it's one of your favorites next to Chess." Alois shook his head 'no' and rolled over onto his side, facing away form his butler. "If you're a shinigami, you have a death list right? Is my name on it?" asked Alois. Avel answered by saying, "Well you see, I'm a bit of a special case. I don't collect human souls." His master quickly crawled over to the edge of the bed closest to Avel, laying on his back and staring at him with intense interest. "You don't? Then what kind of a collector are you?" he asked. Avel smiled at his little master and said, "You'll have to wait until the right time comes to know what kind of a collector I am." Alois scoffed and crossed his arms. "You just might see what I do in the three days we have on this ship. I suspect we aren't alone in the detective business traveling to the United States."


	4. Jack Frost

"Sir, sir! Please wake up!" shouted Avel in a panicked voice. Alois opened his eyes to find his butler practically sitting on top of him, looking around wildly. "Wake up! Something's happened and I must move you away from this room." Alois pushed his butler off of his body, and sat up in his bed. He yawned and asked Avel, "What's happened?" Avel roughly grabbed onto his master's shoulders and answered him by saying, "A body's been found. No skin, no blood, no clues left behind. You are to stay with me at all times, do you understand?" In his groggy state, Alois slowly unbuttoned his pajama shirt, only to slumber over on his bed a minute later, falling back into his slumber. Avel propped him up once again, and helped the blonde get dressed. "But what about my games?" Alois asked. Avel glanced over at the trunk that contained the games they brought for entertainment during the trip, and shrunk it down to pocket-size with the snap of his fingers. He picked it up, and dropped it down into one of his waistcoat pockets. "Your games are safe, I promise." Without further delay, he lifted his master in his arms. One arm extended under his tiny body, and the other held his against Avel's shoulder. "Please I ask of you to not look at the world around us. The hallways are, repulsive. We're going to the lounge. Everyone else who is alive has gathered there." Alois widened his eyes at the words, 'who is alive'. He still questioned whether he was alive or not, and wondered what happened on the ship over a night's passing.

Avel pushed the room's door open with his back, holding Alois tightly against his own body. The hallway was in ruin. Blood covered the walls, a foul stench filled the air, and a cold wind blew through calmly. Alois peeked around at the walls, and gagged at the sight of a man who's body was pinned against the wall by a shard of ice. His skin lay under his body, folded into a square like a shirt would be. Alois closed his eyes tightly, and kept his head against his butler's shoulder. Avel dashed towards the lounge, but was stopped by a mountain of skinless, dead, frozen bodies. One of the included the children Alois encountered the day before. All of their mouths were open, as if they were trying to scream for help. "Why have we stopped?" asked Alois with a shaky tone in his voice. "Just a slight detour." answered Avel. The cold wind began to blow harder, and a voice could be heard saying, "Oh bringer of death how delightful for you to be here. You shinigami are the foulest of them all." Avel knew that voice was talking about him. No other shinigami were on board, as nobody on this ship was listed in death's bingo book. All of the souls no freed were doomed to roam the earth forever. But, how could killing that many innocent people have anything to do with Avel? He stopped thinking, and kicked open a door leading to another cabin room. Hoping to find a way around the mountain of flesh. In that room, a woman was frozen to her bed, appearing to be asleep. Avel carefully and slowly pulled back a piece or boarding on the far side wall, still holding Alois in his arms. Just as he though, there was a path leading to the adjacent room. Squeezing through it, being careful not to harm Alois, he found that this room had not been afflicted by the madness running rampant in the ship. He gently placed his master down on the bed, and wiped sweat away from his forehead that had partially crystallized due to frigid temperature form before. This room was warm, and wasn't being used by any other passengers. It was too neat and in order for it to have belonged to someone. Alois pulled his knees to his chest, and wrapped his arms tightly around them.

"It's just like that day. That village. Only this time, I didn't want everyone to die." said Alois. Avel moved the board back that covered the path, then sat down on the bed next to his little master. Alois looked over at him, and was nearly brought to tears before a sharp turn in the ship's course cause them to go flying across the room. Both of them hit the headboard back first, the slumped back down onto the bed. "Ow..." said Alois before passing out. Avel popped his neck back in the position it was supposed to be, then picked Alois up once again and left the room. His top priority was to make it to the lounge, where he knew other people could watch his master while he take care of whatever was wrecking the ship. Dashing through the halls of blood and stairs or corpses, they finally reached the lounge's door. Busting through it back first, Avel turned around to find a man dressed in the same attire he was, sitting on the ground with his back against a wall, blood splattered in the shape of wings, and a boy that appeared the same age as Alois sitting in his arms. Upon further inspection, he realized this was no ordinary man. But rather, the single soul he'd been hunting for years. Avel did not collect human souls, but rather demon and other supernatural beings' souls. The man was none other than Sebastian Michaelis. A seething anger ran throughout Avel's body. His prize sat right before him, bloodied and weakened. That, however, was not the current priority. Sebastian looked up at Avel, breathing heavily, and calmly said, "It's been quite a few years, hasn't it old friend? I'm surprised to see you escorting a child around." Avel grit his teeth and replied in the calmest tone he could, "Ironic to see you with angel wings behind you. You haven't changed a bit, have you Sebastian Michaelis?" Sebastian laughed, and then stood up with his master in his arms. The two butlers stood facing each other in complete silence. Avel wanted to rip Sebastian's heart out and finally claim his soul as his own. Sebastian was the only demon to ever escape him, and he didn't want to pass up this chance. Sebastian said, "There's a man aboard this ship I'm sure you've heard of. That killer Jack Frost who escaped form the Underworld's prison. Don't talk too loudly, because he can travel through a person's voice if the right words are said. That, and cold wind. A hole has been punched through the side of this ship large enough for a person ti fit through, and I believe that's how he entered. I know you'd love nothing more to kill me and take my soul, however, I want to propose something. Clearly both of us are bound to a human being, and if either of them die we'll both be in quite a predicament. You help me put an end to Jack Frost's rampage for their sake, and I'll duel you as many times as you like."

Avel shook his head in agreement to the demon's offer. "But, where will we put them? I do not wish to fit in front of them. This boy has been through a tremendous amount of pain." Sebastian looked around, and decided the boys would have to wait in a compartment in the lounge's roof. It was a spot created by the previous ship-goers used originally for smuggling things in and out of the country. It was capable of holding 5 fully grown adults, so there was plenty of space for the two boys to rest. "This one hasn't had the luckiest life himself," he continued, "The two of them actually know each other. Though they don't get along, however I think some quiet time between them might open their eyes to the pain they share. I don't particularly like seeing my master have no friends his age." Sebastian opened the covering and climbed inside while still holding his barely conscious master, and Avel followed behind him. The room was small, but large enough for both of them to stand straight up. Gently, the young earls were lowered onto the ground, with their backs facing it. Avel lit a candle with a flame on his finger tip, and sat it down between the two, so that when they awoke, the room wouldn't be enveloped in darkness. "Just this once. This is the only time I will work with you. After this, your soul will be mine." said Avel. Sebastian just smiled back at him and said, "We'll see about that now won't we?" The two butlers left, covering up the secret doorway behind them, then proceeded to call out the murderer Jack Frost in any way they could think of. Blood stained almost everything in sight, including their clothes. Dead bodies hung form the chandeliers, all skinless and frozen. A gust of wind blew past them saying, "Can't catch what you can't touch. Where I am? Am I inside of you? Am I beside you? And I floating above the ships? Who knows?" The taunting only drove Avel more, making him hot-headed and ready to take down anything that stood in his way. Sebastian, being the calmer of the two, asked, "If you were trying to take over a ship, where would you go?" Avel turned around, and dashed up a flight of stairs without saying a word. Sebastian followed and asked, "Where are you going?" "Captain's room," Avel answered.

The captain's door was sealed by a kind of magic circle, one common with summoning and enchantment. Someone on board this ship who created the circle, was the same person who tore a hole in the side of the ship. Everyone knows certain requirements have to be met for a demon to be summoned. Jack Frost required cold winds and a mark. A summoner's circle cannot be broken by another human, or demon. One of the very few laws of the underworld. However, Avel was a shinigami, and one who collected demon souls specifically. He was known by three names. His own, by friends and family as The Magician, and by everyone else as The Underworld's Warden. Avel balled his fist, and cocked his arm back. With a single punch, he broke through the center of the magic circle and kicked the door open. "Jack Frost!" Avel shouted. A man with bloodied clothes and snow white hair was sitting in the captain's chair. His smile was sinister, his eyes bloodshot, one leg was crossed over the other, and his hands "I guess it's true what they say. You barge in and bark first. I never suspected you have have Sebastian Michaelis accompanying you. I thought for sure I'd ended his life," he continued, "And to see both of you working together for the sake of children. How pitiful." Both at the same time, Avel in a loud and frenzied manor, Sebastian in a calm manor, said, "He's not just a child. He's my master." Avel launched himself towards the sinister soul that sat before him, but Sebastian grabbed onto his wrist, pulling him back and telling him to calm down. "No wars have ever been won due to hasty actions." said Sebastian. Jack Frost rose from his chair, and with an evil smile said, "Bad mistake mister." The white-haired man popped his neck back, making it appear to be broken, and dissipated into a foggy cloud of ice. A large shard of ice floated in the middle of the now misty man. In that shard was his soul. All Avel had to do was retrieve it, and this would all be over.

Meanwhile downstairs in the storage room, Alois was starting to wake up. Slowly he opened his eyes and looked around. A small room, a candle, Avel nowhere to be found, and of all the people he could have been trapped with, Ciel Phantomhive was the single person laying across from him. All kinds of different emotions and thoughts ran through Alois' mind. The boy he'd been chasing for so long was right in front of him, sleeping and helpless to anything around him. Alois could do whatever he wanted and nobody would stop him. Originally he wanted Ciel to feel the same kind of pain he had, however, after talking to Avel and feeling genuine kindness for the first time in a long time, he no longer wanted to harm the Phantomhive. He'd also realized how much Hannah cared about him, and found himself on the brink of crying once again. Crying was something he tried not to do, since he wanted to be a strong older brother for Luka. Alois sat straight up with his legs crossed over one another, with his hands gripped onto his over hanging head as he thought. So much had happened in the past few days, and now he was trapped in a room with the one person he envied the most. Ciel slowly opened his eyes and sat up as well, being noticeably tense when he seen Alois in front of him. Alois was too deep in thought to realize his current roommate had awoken. "Trancy...?" Ciel continued, "You're alive? I thought you were dead! Your blood was all over my clothes! How can you possibly be here? Where's Sebastian?" Alois lowered his hands from his head, and looked at the Phantomhive sitting across from him. His faced appeared to be glowing thanks to the candle's light. "There's dead bodies everywhere. Everyone on the ship is dead except for us. My guesses are that Sebastian and Avel are taking care of whoever it is causing all this, chaos. Strange. Normally I'd like this kind of thing." said Alois. Ciel looked puzzled, and backed himself against the wall behind him in the tiny storage room. "That's why he kept my eyes covered I suppose. But still, how are **you** alive? And who's this Avel person? I thought Claude was your butler." said Ciel. Alois took a deep breath, and told the story of Claude's disappearance with his soul, as well as Avel's position in his life.

"I don't want to chase after you anymore. I know neither you nor Sebastian had anything to do with that day. Luka died by his own choice, for me. He wanted me to be happy, so that's what I'm going to do. I do hope, that someday, we can talk as friends and not because of misunderstood information. To be honest, I still envy you. You're so, strong. You have plenty of people in your life, yet you'd be perfectly fine on your own. I envy that kind of strength. I'm, weak. I can't stand on my own like that. I'm sorry for all of the trouble I've caused you." said Alois. Ciel listened to the boy talk, and then sighed. He didn't like hearing someone praise him in such a manner. He'd prefer to never speak to the Trancy boy again, but something about him was different this time. There wasn't a sense of hatred. Just loneliness. Ciel knew what that kind of loneliness felt like, and wasn't quite sure of what to say to Alois. He thought and thought, then finally said, "I accept your apology. Normally I don't really like talking to people, but for you I will make this one exception. Tell me now why you think I should accept you as a friend." Alois smiled warmly, feeling a little happier knowing he had some kind of a chance to make up for what he'd done. "Well, you and I have both suffered a tremendous amount of pain in our lives. You handled yours better than I did mine, but I think it would do both of us good to have someone to talk to that's shared the same pain. I feel like, under your tough and tough exterior, you want a friend you can count on too." said Alois. Ciel crossed his arms and kept a straight face. He closed his eyes, smirked, and said, "You really have changed, haven't you? Meet me back in London after we return from America." The ship veered once again, and cause Alois to go flying towards Ciel, dodging the candle sitting between them. He landed against him, head against his chest. For a moment, Alois was completely calm. Hearing another human's heartbeat washed away all of the conflicting emotions he felt. However, he quickly pulled himself off the young Phantomhive and apologized. The two continued talking about their pasts to each other.

Back upstairs in the captain's room, both Sebastian and Avel had their hands tied. Literally tied by rings of ice. The room was shrouded in a thick ice-like mist that cut skin and clothes like razors. Sebastian moved his wrist and hands around until he was finally able to break free, and threw knives at the crystallized soul hovering in the center of the room. Not a single one was able to hit it, as walls of ice formed around it to deflect the blades. A powerful wind stirred in the room, causing a multitude of cuts to cover both of the fighters bodies. Their clothes were reduced to rags, and Avel's eye had been forced shut but a large cut covering it. With one large burst of energy, Avel forced every part of his body to shoot out black flames, melting away the ice in the air, and exposing the heart of it for the taking. "Grab it now!" shouted Avel. Sebastian lunged forward and wrapped both of his hands around the shard. "No! No! I can't be caught! So many lies, you're all being deceived!" shouted Jack Frost. Sebastian threw the shard over to Avel, who caught it in his right hand. Jack Frost's human form materialized around the shard. His face was as pale as his hair. He looked back and forth between the two men who apprehended him, and mumbled the word 'please' over and over again. Sebastian forced his hand inside of Jack Frost's body, grabbing his heart through his back and said, "How could I forgive anyone that ruined a suit given to me by my young master." Both of the men ripped half of Jack Frost's heart from his body, and watched as the blood ran down his torso. "Back to prison for you." said Avel. When a demon is sent to prison, only his heart goes. Avel wrapped locks around both halves of the killer's heart, and sent him back to the underworld's highest security prison. His presence will however always be felt in the human world, and it is known as the season of winter.

Avel and Sebastian shook hands after the fight. "I still don't like you." said Avel. Sebastian smiled and said, "That may be, but this wasn't for me. You're dedicated to your master, aren't you? I never expected you to be the contract making type." Avel looked away and blushed out of embarrassment. "Well, it's a special case. Your soul will be mine someday," he sighed and continued, "But for now, it would be better if we went back to them. I pray they haven't killed each other yet."


End file.
